Spamano The Italian Wars: A Tragedy and a Blessing
by Emili Fernandez
Summary: Lovina lost her grandfather to the French during the war, and all she has left is her dying brother. Will someone grant her last wish and save Feliciano before he dies? ((Just a note here, I'm not very great at Spanish so if you see mistakes, that's why.))
1. Prologue

In life, many twists and turns, ups and downs, and occasional bumps will occur on the road. A death of an important living being, or the loss of a very important thing. A path of complete despair until there is a final dead end, and the trip is completely over. However, there are also chances of finding one shortcut, one chance to take that might lead to complete freedom and happiness. And that happiness, is what I found.


	2. Day 1

I was in a deep sleep for a while. I don't exactly remember how long, but it was long enough. Because when I woke up, the news was that my Grandpa was killed by the French after being interrogated for information. So now as an older sister, I have to take care of my little brother, Feliciano. The only problem is, we are now in the torn apart streets of Italy. We have no guardian angels with us now. Our country is going to die.

Today, Feli and I made a deal with the black market. We sold the last of our grandpa's treasure for two tomatoes. I felt bad for giving it away, but I had to keep myself and Feli alive for as long as possible. Or at least that's what I keep telling myself. But eventually, we could not find anymore scraps of important metal in the ruins of our old house. We were completely broke, and no one would give us shelter or food now that our funds were gone.

That night was very cold. Feli was almost frozen solid, so I sacrificed my dress and let him wear it for the night. I never got cold easily, so I did not object. But Feli on the other hand felt horrible about wearing my only clothing. It took a while, but I eventually convinced him to not worry. We slept on the pavement of the streets and watched the nearby towns burst into tiny pieces by the weapons of the French and Italians who wished for more land.


	3. Day 2

In the morning, I woke Feli up as usual to look around for valuable items that might have been laying around. But he was too famished to even stand. So I told him to stay where he was while I looked myself. He gave me the usual farewell kiss on the cheek as I walked off. I had a strange feeling that I should not have left him alone, but Feli is such a good boy. I doubted anything would happen.

As I turned a corner, that is when I realized I was wrong. The French had already destroyed half of Italy. A deep red fire burned the North side of our country and I could almost smell the burnt flesh of our people. It was not that Feliciano would get into trouble. It was the trouble that would find him. I quickly ran back to the spot where I left him, and thank god he was still there and alive. Sick, but alive. I never held him so tight in my life.

That afternoon, he was able to walk a bit, so we took a stroll together. We lived in Naples, which was once such a beautiful place. But when the war occurred, the skies turned from a bright blue to a destructive orange hidden in smoke. The canals became overfilled with debris, so water flooded the streets, which were cracked by the million bullets shot from guns or muskets or cannons. Not like it matters any longer, though. But even though our precious country was crumbling, at least Feli and I were able to spend our last days together. He squeezed my hand as we slowly walked back to our starting point. Our old house. It was the proper way to die, was it not? All of our past memories in a peaceful and gorgeous country with Grandpa Roma and dinners of delectable pasta and just a drop red wine. It was all I could ask for, even if it was a short period of time. But if it were possible, God, my final request would be for my little brother to live at least a little while longer. I know it is selfish, but I do not want to live or die alone. So please, answer my prayers. Someone please help my little brother.

Anyone.


	4. Day 3

The very next day, I awake in a pitch black room that I have never been to or seen before. Am I dead? In purgatory because of my wish? Questions flutter through my brain as I attempt to stand on my feet, but a sudden bump causes me to fall back down again. What was that, I wonder. I try to stand once again, but another bump causes me to stumble down again. Then another, and another. No, I am not in purgatory. I am in a van. I sigh heavily and shake my head, not even wanting to know what was happening. I just need to find Feli, and that is all.

I search around the van on my knees to prevent myself from falling again or even stepping on my little brother. It takes me a while, but I finally find his feet, and soon, his face. "Feli," I call out to him softly, but he doesn't answer, so I speak louder. "Feli, wake up!" Eventually, he starts to move, which is a relief. I don't dare to move away from him as he tries to wake up, because I knew the drivers of this van would come for us any minute. I want to be prepared to sacrifice myself for Feli no matter what.

The amount of time that passed by in that van felt like an eternity. I almost even fell asleep on Feli because of how bored I ended up being. By now, we probably passed the border of Italy and into another country by now. But wait... This van would not belong to the French by any chance, would it? Because if so, that would mean, we lost the entire war overnight. Italy is now missing two people.

And those two people are me and Feli.


	5. Day 4

As I predicted, the car finally stopped about half an hour later, and the first faces that caught my eye were indeed French faces. They gave Feli and I dirty looks, in all the ways you can imagine, really. And in no time, they grabbed us by our arms to bring us out of the van, and then cuffed them together as police would. I kept my eye on my brother at all times, making sure that they would not do anything stupid behind my back.

After all of that was done, we were led to a very large, stone building that looked recently rebuilt. Inside, it looked just as bland as a jail cell. Of course, this meant my already weak brother and I were to be executed. I overheard that we only have three days to collect our thoughts, Feli and I. So I make sure to make the best of it.

The evening of the same day, we received a plate of very delicious looking food. It was not pasta, but it was something, right? It did not take long for Feli to finish his plate, so I gave him half of my meal. He looked better already.


	6. Day 5

The next morning, after sleeping on a somewhat actual bed, my back felt much better than it used to, Feli's walk looked much better than before, too, so that was a good sign. For the rest of the day, we quietly told funny stories and sang the songs that Grandpa Roma used to sing with us. We ate again too, but we admitted that we missed the pasta from back home. We missed making it and having to clean the sauce that fell on the counters. Grandpa would scold us, but would later say sorry since the pasta turned out well. I miss Grandpa. And so does Feli.

It bothers me that Feli could stay so calm. He is so young but so intelligent for his age. Of course he cried with me when we found out Grandpa Roma died, but since then, he has always been such a good boy. Feli does his best to help people and make them feel better. Maybe that is why I want him to stay with me until the end.

Before Feli and I went to bed, he hugged me and told me I was the best sister to have ever lived. I don't think I ever cried that much in my life.


	7. Day 6

Our final day of being together was finally here, and I couldn't let go of my little brother's hand all day. Not when we ate, or talked, or even peed. I just could not stand it. I know it is what I wished for, so I won't complain, but I wish I could have lived a bit longer to see what the world is really like when you are not the victim.

I used the rest of the day to have a very long talk with Feliciano. He did not really understand our religion, or any religion in that matter. I had to explain Heaven and Hell and Purgatory, and everything.

"Lovi, are we going to Hell?" Feli asked me all of a sudden.

"No Feli, we won't go to hell. But you know who will?" I replied with a whisper while easing my lips to his ear. "The French are going to hell."

Feliciano gasped and crossed his arms. "That was not very nice, Lovi." I simply shrugged as a reply and pet my dear brother's head. "You're definitely going to be an angel, Feli. I promise you that."

Feli held out his pinky and smiled. "Promise?"

I took his pinky in mine, then used my free hand to say "Cross my heart and hope to die."


	8. Day 7 Part 1

After a somewhat full night of sleep, execution day finally arrived. The sound of the bar door opening was eardrum ripping, and I suddenly felt as if the other side was a whole other world. But of course it was, since it was the first lead to our deaths.

I took Feli's hand in mine and followed the guard in front of us to the room that would claim our heads. It wa a longer walk than expected, but I suppose it was meant to be suspenseful. As the room came into view, I realized that it was smaller and more private than expected. No audience, no ropes tied to wood, no nothing. It was only a simple and single contraption with a blade hanging at the very top. But since there was one, that meant one of us had to go first.

I naturally volunteered, "But under one condition," I said to the guards. "Keep Feliciano away until I'm chopped and properly disposed of. Understand?" That was all I had to say before looking down at Feli with a smile. I pat his head for the last time, then went into the room.

My neck was placed right under the blade as it was supposed to, and I awaited the final words from the guard. "Any last words?" He asked. I opened my mouth to speak, but a completely different sound came out. It sounded like a very loud gunshot. I frowned, then looked up at the guard who also noticed the sound and went out of the room to check what it was. I finally had my chance to escape, so I carefully slid my head out of the deathtrap and began to walk near the door. I was going to run away from the guard, like what Italians do best, but the man was sprawled out on the floor. He might have even been dead.

Then I realize, the gunshots. The man. Feli! I run as fast as I can out of the room, then see that the man who held Feli before I went into the room was using him as a meat shield against another man. Not a Frenchman, no. But a... A Spaniard?

"Let the boy go, and no one gets hurt." The Spaniard frowned. His green eyes were as dark as a deep forest. But what did he want with Feli?

"I thought my country banned your kind from interfering with this war, Antonio Fernandez."

"Well sometimes us Hispanics need to have a little bit of fun, no?

"Enough! I am going to kill this boy and make North Italy my own land!"

"So that is what you bastards want!" I blurted out by mistake. In no time, I was noticed by both the Frenchman and the Spaniard. The green eyed Hispanic smirked at my sudden appearance, and his eyes became just a little bit brighter. His eyes were not really ones of the deep forest; a hunter. No, he had the eyes of a bright and beautiful emerald that Grandpa Roma used to have. The one that he gave to me soon before he died. The one on my neck. I do not know what consequences to immediately think of, but all I know is that the Spaniard is only after killing the Frenchman, so I should stand out of the way. But... What about Feli?

The Spaniard named Antonio continued to look at me from the corner of his eye while he tried to carefully resolve all of this. In my own heart, I could feel that he was not truly made for killing, but is forced to for his own good. Then I realize, was it Grandpa Roma who sent him after us?

"You can kill the boy," Antonio spoke sternly. "But your life will end by my own gun as well. You will not have any land to rule once that is done. You will be sleeping with el Diablo before you get to rule anyone."

The last line sent chills down my spine. Was he talking about the Devil? I did not want to know. I just wanted Feli, whose collar was greatly tugged on by the Frenchman. I noticed that he was staring at me the whole time. It made me want to die myself, to see that his suffering face was directed to me. Did he want me to do something? His mouth moved, but no words came out. Then I realized he was mouthing words to me.

Get ready.

Get ready? But for what? What was Feli planning? That question was answered only a second later when he suddenly came running to me. It turns out that the Frenchman did not see that Feli was wearing an oversized dress on top, which was what he grabbed. Feli soon took my hand, and dragged me towards the exit which was towards the Spaniard.

I did not know what was going on, but I followed Feli and ran as fast as I could to the exit at the end of the hall. I heard gunshots from behind, but I just figured that the two men were fighting to death. But that was okay, as long as Feli and I were together.

Eventually the gunshot sounds became closer and closer, until I looked back and saw Antonio directly behind us, being chased by the Frenchman, who was shooting at him. I did not dare to stop running, but I kept looking back.

Then, the worst thing to have ever happened occurred.

When the exit was only about a meter away, one last gunshot was heard, but this time, it was closer than ever. I gasped, feeling a tug on my clothing, then collapsed on the ground. But it was not me who was shot.

It was Feli.


	9. Day 7 Part 2

I could not say a word as I sat lifelessly on the floor next to my bleeding brother. His face was suddenly pale, and his lips became red in a millisecond. My hands were shivering as they only hovered over little Feli. I didn't know what to do. But what could I do? I'm no doctor or angel sent from God. I'm just Lovi, the first born girl of the Vargas family. So I merely stared at Feliciano, hoping that he would just get up and start laughing like his usual self. But that did not happen.

It was only about a second later when I felt a hand pull me away from Feli. My eyes shot open in a heartbeat, then I struggled to be released. I couldn't leave Feli alone, no matter what. I promised him that! I promised myself that, too, so I continued to force myself forward. However the force that was pulling me was too strong. I looked back as I was thrown over the person's shoulder. It was that idiot Antonio again. I felt so useless and pathetic that I even let out an ear piercing scream for my brother as I was carried away from the building. And as that happened, I witnessed the French bastard as he shot my brother once in the head.

Feli was gone. He was gone, and it was all that bastards fault. All my fault. I swore my revenge as hot tears fell down my cheeks. I couldn't stand to look at what else would happen so I played dead on Antonio's shoulder for the rest of the trip.


	10. Day 8 Part 1

"Feli!" I screamed from the top of my lungs. "Feli!" For some reason, I thought he was still alive, so of course I ran back. I somehow got past Antonio and even the guards. I was right all along about Feli. He was still on the ground, his leg pierced, but he was still breathing. "Feli!" I repeated as I crouched by his side. "I'm going to get us out of here, okay?" I assured him. He didn't speak, but he did turn his head to me and gave a small nod. I tried my best to get him on my back, but with his bleeding leg, it was almost impossible. It seemed like forever while we tried to figure it out. Then I realized we had taken too long. The guards were surrounding us, and that Frenchman had a gun pointed at my head.

"Good night, ma cherie."

A gasp escaped my lips as my eyes shot open to reveal actual reality. My head throbbed, but it was nothing of importance. I was in a small, tan room filled with furniture and scattered documents. The sun's rays were attached to the polished wooden floor while the curtains flowed with the wind from outside. I slowly made my way out of the bed I was in, and pushed my hair back. The only words that could be said were "What the hell is happening..."

Not after many seconds, a familiar voice with a strange new attitude approached the door. "Mi amor, are you awake now?" Antonio entered the room with a large grin, and cleaner clothes than the day before.

"Who the hell are you calling love, Bastard..." I muttered, turning away. Of course I hated him. He left my own brother to die. My own heart, soul, and life, at that. All of that was gone, and I was alone. Antonio dropped his smile in concern, but didn't move from his spot. "I know you must be upset with me, but I did my best to try and save you and Feliciano, Lovina," he spoke softly. That must have been the most comforting voice I have ever heard in my life, next to Feli's.

"Did Grandpa send you?" I asked. It was something that I have noticed since I saw the man. He didn't have selfish eyes or a greedy appearance. There was something about him that just screamed ally.

"Roma? No, he didn't." Antonio answered. "I came in my own will."

"So you are just like that greedy Frenchman."

"No, not at all. I never said that I had nothing to do with Roma," The Spaniard began. "You see, he actually detested my help at first. I did not want Italy to fall apart."

"So you tried to save us just because you wanted to?"

"Sí. Now, are you hungry?"

I nodded and finally stood up from the bed. Though I still kept my distance from the man, I had no choice but to trust him. We were most likely in Spain at the very moment, which was a place that I was unfamiliar with. So no matter what, ordered or not, I would have to stay close to Antonio.

I followed him to what seemed like the kitchen after a very short and pointless talk about my feelings of his home. I simply said it was nice, and nothing more.

"Do you like tomatoes, Lovina?" Antonio asked while looking through the pantry. "There is some fresh bread here, and the garden outside must have something ripe."

I raised an eyebrow at him, even though his back was turned. "All right."

I didn't know exactly how I felt about this, but even though we met only a day before, he was treating me almost like his own child. At the moment, he was searching for food to eat and then occasionally looked back at me to see if I had escaped or not. I didn't move.

"Alright then," The Spaniard let out his winning smile once again and carried a loaf of bread to the table. "You can start eating this now if you'd like. I'm going to pick fruits from the garden. I'll be right through this window, see?" He pointed to the window beside the table, then looked back to me. "If you need me, then just yell. I'll hear you."

And with that, he left the kitchen to do just that. I sat on a chair and poked at the bread. It really was fresh, and warm too. Did he bake it overnight? After slight hesitation, I took a piece and placed it on my tongue, letting it melt in my mouth. "It's delicious," I whispered with widened eyes. But that was a stupid thing to say, seeing that ever since the war, I had been starving. The nights in the cell didn't count.

I stared out the window as I kept eating from the loaf, and watched Antonio attempt to garden. He was surprisingly good at it, but I suppose he was good at a lot of things. I noticed that it was odd for a man who was so great at baking, gardening, and fighting to be in such a bad position. The house was nice indeed, but small. And not to mention, he was so handsome, especially when he was concentrated. I wonder why women didn't surround him during every second of the day. Wait, what am I thinking?!

Before I knew it, Antonio was staring straight at me with that goofy smile of his. It startled me, so I dropped the piece of bread that was in my hand. "Merda!" I swore while looking away with a blush. "That bastard. What does he even want?" What a stupid question to ask, but nothing else would pop into my mind. I suppose it was about time to get used to living with this man.


End file.
